Radaza cancels caravan due to traffic concerns

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza apologized to supporters and members of the Deretso Team after she canceled their caravan around the city this morning.  She said would instead hold handshaking activities in the different barangays.

In a press conference yesterday, she said she did not want her group to contribute to the city’s traffic as their motorcade involves a long trail of vehicles.

“If we will be having the caravan tomorrow (today), maka-create og more traffic, which I think, dili siguro maka-emphasize og impact for the Deretso. It’s more detrimental sa grupo sa Deretso. Kung mag-caravan mi, taas kaayo. It will take hours. Mao na di nako ipadayon,” Radaza said.

The caravan was supposedly scheduled to start around 7 or 8 a.m. Radaza said that in the 2013 elections, around 2,000 to 3,000 supporters joined their caravan. She expected more than 3,000 would show up for the motorcade today.

“Hopefully masabtan sa supporters sa Liberal Party ug sa grupo sa Deretso kay mangasuko ang mga katawhan kung atong ipadayon (ang caravan). Magpundok og maayo ang sakyanan. Mangayo lang gyud ko og dispensa sa grupo nga dili nato ipadayon kay working day, ang uban mo-report sa trabaho,” Radaza added.

Last Sunday, mayoralty candidate Rolando Patalinjug and the rest of his Team Kusgano slate conducted a motorcade with 400 motorcycles and 400 cars. Team Pelaez candidates led by Efrain Pelaez, Jr., on the other hand, is set to have theirs May 6.

Meanwhile, Radaza believed that in distribution of the insurance cards violated Commission on Elections guidelines so she is mulling filing a case against Patalinjug any time this week.

Radaza revealed that a Team Kusgano campaign leader, convinced that the accident insurance card with a principal sum of P50,000, presented the card to a hospital in Cebu City after meeting a vehicular accident in southern Cebu last week and ended up being embarrassed.

She identified Patalinjug’s campaign leader as Evilita Berido of Sitio Matab-ang Masiwa in Barangay Marigondon.

“Gusto unta i-avail ang insurance kay nadisgrasya siya…. Niadto siya og Perpetual Succour (Hospital) para patambalan. Gitambalan siya nadako ang gasto. She was about to refer sa insurance kay gusto nila ma-menusan ang bayronon but gibalibaran sila sa insurance kay walay pundo,” Radaza said.

She said a Deretso Team’s supporter reported to her what happened to Berido.

Reacting on Radaza’s accusation of vote buying he allegedly did through the distribution of accident insurance cards, Patalinjug said he would just let it slide.

“Naa siyay katungod nga mo-comment or mosulti sa iyahang gusto, pero kanang insurance card before ka maka-avail ana paaprobahan gyud na siya (sa agency),” Patalinjug said.

The accident insurance card from Fortune Life Insurance Company allegedly bears the images of Patalinjug, vice mayoralty candidate Rufo Amores, and lone congressional candidate Dr. Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy.

Patalinjug, however, denied what Radaza revealed, saying he did not know Berido and that the latter did not even go to him or to his house to seek assistance after her (Berido) situation.

“Wala ko kaila ana. Tungod sa kadaghan. Wala man pud (nidangop),” he said. (FREEMAN)